Coin circulating feed conveyor

ABSTRACT

An elongated inverted V-shaped member has downwardly and outwardly sloping sides along which endless belts extend, sloping upwardly in opposite directions and running in opposite directions to convey coins upwardly to the crest of the V-shaped member at the ends of the apparatus where they gravitate from one belt over the crest to the other belt. The belts also slope laterally toward the sides of the V-shaped member which are provided with a plurality of coin receiving openings. Coins are thus constantly circulated along both sides of the member to maintain a supply of coins at each of said openings at all times.

United States Patent [191 Black et al.

[451 Jan. 14, 1975 2,700,479 2,833,393 5/1958 Kay 3,534,849

COIN CIRCULATING FEED CONVEYOR Inventors: Thomas J. Black, Vienna; Frank L.

Bennett, Chantilly, both of Va.

Assignee: Universal Machine Company, Inc.,

Dallas, Tex.

Filed: Oct. 2, 1973 Appl. No.: 402,835

US. Cl. 133/1 R, 198/85, 214/16 R Int. Cl. G07d 9/00 Field of Search 133/1 R, 3 F, 8 E;

214/16 R, 17 C, 17 CA; 198/85, 66

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1955 Carlson 214/16 R 198/85 10/1970 Powell 198/85 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner--Thomas E. Kocovsky Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bacon & Thomas [57] ABSTRACT An elongated inverted V-shaped member has downwardly and outwardly sloping sides along which endless belts extend, sloping upwardly in opposite directions and running in opposite directions to convey coins upwardly to the crest of the V-shaped member at the ends of the apparatus where they gravitate from one belt over the crest to the other belt. The belts also slope laterally toward the sides of the V-shaped member which are provided with a plurality of coin receiving openings. Coins are thus constantly circulated along both sides of the member to maintain a supply of coins at each of said openings at all times.

9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures COIN CIRCULATING FEED CONVEYOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is in the field of supply conveyors and particularly the field of conveyors for supplying coins to coin processing machines.

Many business enterprises involve the handling of a great number of coins necessitating sorting, counting, separating and wrapping coins in accordance with their denomination. In a great number of instances, the bulk of coins to be handled is very large, and many of the processes, for example, counting and wrapping coins of the same denomination, necessitates the use of a multiplicity of machines and the supply of coins thereto has presented problems. It is important that each machine of a group be constantly supplied with sufficient coins to keep it operating at maximum efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention may be summarized by pointing out that the apparatus involved comprises means for constantly circulating a mass of coins in sufficient quantity to maintain an adequate supply at the entrance of each of the machines to be fed. In general, the invention comprises a circulating conveyor arrangement that constantly circulates a mass of coins around a closed path along which directing means are provided for directing coins from the path to the respective processing machines so that an excess of coins is always available at the entrance to each processing machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a plurality of coin processing machines being supplied by the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of that portion of FIG. 1 embodying the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1, numeral 2 indicates a supply hopper that may be filled with coins at some remote location, then transported to the apparatus shown and placed on a suitable holder 4 for directing coins to an elevating conveyor 6. The elevating conveyor 6 discharges elevated coins, through a suitable chute 8 onto the conveyor arrangement 10 of the present invention. The conveyor 10 distributes the coins to each of a plurality of coin processing machines 12, only schematically shown in the drawings. The machines 12 shown in the drawings are coin counting and wrapping machines. For purpose of illustration only, it is assumed that all of the coins are of the same denomination and the machines 12 arrange the coins in stacked order, count predetermined numbers of coins and wraps each counted group of coins into a single package. The details of construction and/or operation of the coin wrappers 12 will not be described since they comprise no essential part of the present invention. It is to be noted that the conveyor system 10 is supported on suitable uprights or standards 14 to extend over the supply hoppers 16 of machines 12 and suitable chutes 18 or the like direct coins from the conveyor system 10 into the hoppers 16.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the conveyor system 10 comprises a pair ofendless conveyor belts 20 and 22. Each belt is trained over a small roller 24 at one end and over a larger diameter roller 26 at its other end. Suitable motors 28 (see FIGS. 1 and 4) are arranged to drive the respective belts so that their upper runs move in opposite directions, as will be described, coins delivered to the conveyor system through chute 8 are carried in one direction by one of the belts, then transferred to the other belt and moved in the opposite direction along generally parallel paths. As the coins reach the starting end of the apparatus on the second belt, they are again transferred to the first belt for recirculation. Arranged between the two parallel paths are openings 30 in a guiding wall, to be described, whereby coins travelling along the parallel paths may drop into the chutes 18 for flow to the respective processing machines 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-7, the conveyor system 10 comprises a framework defining an upstanding inverted V-shaped central member comprising outwardly and downwardly sloping side walls 32, which are shown arranged at right angles to each other and defining an uppermost generally horizontal crest or ridge 34, in the form of a relatively sharp apex. The framework includes upwardly and outwardly extending bottom walls 36 and outermost walls 38 parallel to the sloping walls 32. Each of the outer walls 38 terminates in an upwardly extending flange portion 40. It will thus be seen that the walls 32, 36, and 38 define generally upwardly facing channels and the conveyor belts 20 and 22 along with their rollers 24 and 26 are arranged to operate within those channels. As is apparent from FIG. 4, the larger diameter rollers 26 are of such diameter that the outer peripheries of the belts thereon are substantially tangent to the wall 32 of the opposite channel whereas the rolls 24 are of much smaller diameter. Thus, the upper run of each conveyor belt 20 and 22 extends from a lower level at one end of the apparatus to a higher level at the other end, the higher level being at least as high as the crest 34 previously referred to. The lower runs of the belts extend and run along the bottom walls 36. In this manner coins deposited on the upper run of either belt will be carried thereby in an upwardly sloping path to one end of the apparatus where they can slide laterally off that belt over the crest 34 and onto the lower end of the upper run of the other belt for movement in the opposite direction.

The above-described function is repeated at the other end of the apparatus and thus coins remaining on the belt are continuously circulated along the walls 32. It is to be noted that the coin carrying surfaces of the belts 20 and 22 slope toward the walls 32, at substantially right angles thereto, and thus all coins on the belts gravitate toward the. walls 32.

FIG. 5 illustrates schematically the structure at each end of the apparatus wherein an outer end wall 42 closes the ends of the channels formed between walls 32 and 38 and flanges 40, then extends inwardly to define the top wall 44 of a housing enclosing the ends of the conveyor belts. An inner downwardly extending wall portion 46 defines the terminal ends of the channels along which coins are moved and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wall 46 extends downwardly into close proximity to the upper surfaces of the belts 20 and 22. The belts move under the edges of the wall 46 and in such close proximity thereto that coins cannot pass thereunder. As is clear from FIG. 5, coins moving to the right on the upper belt shown in that figure will impinge the wall 46 and be directed thereby laterally of and over the crest 34 to gravitate downwardly onto the lower end of the belt in the other channel to thus reverse the flow of coins.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, upstanding flanges defining a divider wall 48 extend upwardly from the crest 34 throughout the major length thereof but the wall 48 terminates in opposite ends 50 (see FIG. 3) at positions spaced inwardly from the end walls 46. The divider wall 48, however, extends past the endmost openings 30. Thus, the upstanding wall or divider 48 prevents movement of the coins from one channel to the other except at the ends of the apparatus.

FIG. 7 shows one pair of openings 30 for receiving and directing coins into a chute 18 leading to one of the hoppers 16. While not shown in FIG. 7, it is to be understood that coins are supplied to the conveyor system in such quantity that the chutes 18 and hoppers 16 will be maintained full of coins at all times and those coins unable to enter an opening 30 because of the mass of coins therebelow are merely carried past that respective opening 30 to be available at succeeding openings as the circulating coins move therepast. It is to be noted that the openings 30 are arranged in pairs directly opposite each other in the walls 32 so that coins may enter any chute 18 from either of the conveyor channels.

As is also apparent from FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, the channels defined by walls 32, 36 and 38 are provided with interior transverse walls 52 arranged to slidably support the upper runs of the belts 20 and-22.

While a single specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it is to be understood that other embodiments may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. For example, a single conveyor belt could be employed with suitable roller means at the ends of the apparatus to direct the belt from one channel of the apparatus into the other channel for movement in the reverse direction. Furthermore, other conveying instrumentalities, other than endless belts, might be employed to move coins along the channels. While the apparatus has been constructed with reference to forwarding coins of the same denomination to counting and wrapping machines, the same is merely illustrative of the invention and it is to be understood that even coins of random denomination could be thus directed to a plurality of machines for processing the coins in some other manner.

We claim:

1. A conveyor system for supplying coins to a plurality of coin processing machines comprising:

means defining two generally parallel paths for coins and including upstanding wall means between said paths, said wall means having openings therein, spaced along said paths, for receiving coins from said paths and directing the same to said pluralityof coin processing machines;

conveyor means for conveying coins along said parallel paths in respectively opposite directions and being sloped laterally toward said wall means so that coins thereon gravitate laterally of said paths toward said wall means and openings;

said conveyor means sloping upwardly in the direction of coin movement with a downstream end of each path being higher than an upstream end of the other and higher than said wall means; and

the said laterally sloped conveyors causing .coins from the downstream end of each path to gravitate therefrom to the upstream end of the other path.

2. A conveyor system for supplying coins to a plurality of coin processing machines comprising:

an elongated central member having downwardly and outwardly sloping side surfaces and a generally horizontal crest;

an endless conveyor belt arrangement having a coin supporting run extending along each of said side surfaces and sloping laterally toward its adjacent side surface whereby coins thereon gravitate toward said surface; I

each of said coin supporting runs sloping from end to end, in respectively opposite directions, with the high end of each extending upwardly at least to said crest whereby coins thereon will gravitate over said crest to the low end of the other coin supporting run for movement in the opposite direction;

a plurality of openings in each of said side surfaces for receiving coins from said belts and directing the same to said plurality of coin processing machines; and

means for driving said coin supporting runs in opposite directions so that each of said coin supporting runs moves upwardly toward said crest.

3. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 wherein said side surfaces define an inverted V-shaped central member and wherein said crest comprises a relatively sharp apex.

4. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 wherein said side surfaces define planes at substantially right angles to each other and wherein said coin supporting runs extend at substantially right angles to said side surfaces.

5. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said coin supporting runs comprises the upper run of a separate endless belt.

6. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 including an upstanding divider wall extending upwardly from said crest and therealong to terminal ends adjacent but short of those regions where coins may gravitate across said crest.

7. A conveyor system as defined in claim 6 including stationary transverse end walls extending laterally across said coin supporting runs and said crest and spaced longitudinally from said terminal ends to define therebetween a path for movement of coins across said crest, said end walls having lower edge portions extending to said side surfaces and into such close proximity to the upper surfaces of said coin supporting runs as to prevent the passage of coins therebetween.

8. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 including generally upstanding stationary side walls extending upwardly from adjacent the outer edges of said coin supporting runs, to confine coins thereto.

9. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 wherein said openings in said side surfaces comprise pairs of opposed openings in respective side surfaces, and means for directing coins from each pair of openings to a single coin processing machine. 

1. A conveyor system for supplying coins to a plurality of coin processing machines comprising: means defining two generally parallel paths for coins and including upstanding wall means between said paths, said wall means having openings therein, spaced along said paths, for receiving coins from said paths and directing the same to said plurality of coin processing machines; conveyor means for conveying coins along said parallel paths in respectively opposite directions and being sloped laterally toward said wall means so that coins thereon gravitate laterally of said paths toward said wall means and openings; said conveyor means sloping upwardly in the direction of coin movement with a downstream end of each path being higher than an upstream end of the other and higher than said wall means; and the said laterally sloped conveyors causing coins from the downstream end of each path to gravitate therefrom to the upstream end of the other path.
 2. A conveyor system for supplying coins to a plurality of coin processing machines comprising: an elongated central member having downwardly and outwardly sloping side surfaces and a generally horizontal crest; an endless conveyor belt arrangement having a coin supporting run extending along each of said side surfaces and sloping laterally tOward its adjacent side surface whereby coins thereon gravitate toward said surface; each of said coin supporting runs sloping from end to end, in respectively opposite directions, with the high end of each extending upwardly at least to said crest whereby coins thereon will gravitate over said crest to the low end of the other coin supporting run for movement in the opposite direction; a plurality of openings in each of said side surfaces for receiving coins from said belts and directing the same to said plurality of coin processing machines; and means for driving said coin supporting runs in opposite directions so that each of said coin supporting runs moves upwardly toward said crest.
 3. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 wherein said side surfaces define an inverted V-shaped central member and wherein said crest comprises a relatively sharp apex.
 4. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 wherein said side surfaces define planes at substantially right angles to each other and wherein said coin supporting runs extend at substantially right angles to said side surfaces.
 5. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said coin supporting runs comprises the upper run of a separate endless belt.
 6. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 including an upstanding divider wall extending upwardly from said crest and therealong to terminal ends adjacent but short of those regions where coins may gravitate across said crest.
 7. A conveyor system as defined in claim 6 including stationary transverse end walls extending laterally across said coin supporting runs and said crest and spaced longitudinally from said terminal ends to define therebetween a path for movement of coins across said crest, said end walls having lower edge portions extending to said side surfaces and into such close proximity to the upper surfaces of said coin supporting runs as to prevent the passage of coins therebetween.
 8. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 including generally upstanding stationary side walls extending upwardly from adjacent the outer edges of said coin supporting runs, to confine coins thereto.
 9. A conveyor system as defined in claim 2 wherein said openings in said side surfaces comprise pairs of opposed openings in respective side surfaces, and means for directing coins from each pair of openings to a single coin processing machine. 